Counting Rings
by Aerith Queen of Cetra
Summary: .:KandaxAllen:. "Will we ever have a moment like this again?" "Probably not..." But Kanda will at least make sure that this moment is worth remembering...


_Title:_ Counting Rings

_Author:_ Aerith Queen of Cetra

_Chapters_: 1/1

_Summary_: .:KandaxAllen:. "Will we ever have a moment like this again?" "Probably not..." But Kanda will at least make sure that this moment is worth remembering...

_Genre: _Hurt/Comfort/Romance

_Beta'd:_ Nu-uh!

_Warnings_: Shonen ai (boyxboy), rude language, cliché cheesyness! Um, spoilers if you haven't read/watched up until the fight on the Arc? XD;;

**Disclaimer:** Don't own, don't care XD;

**Author's Comments:** Yullen Week #2, Prompt is... "_Date_."Yeah, I wanted to write about their date because I had a cute image of Allen getting all dressed up over it but I remembered this old fic I wrote and since I started this on short notice, I cheated a little... but the edits were inspired by the lovely weather we've been having over here lately =P

* * *

**Counting Rings**

* * *

_  
May you never forget what is worth remembering, nor ever remember what is best forgotten._

- Irish Proverb -

* * *

He had slipped away from them, with surprising ease actually. Link's watch on him wasn't as strict as the Crow liked to think and in this glorious spring turned summer day, Allen Walker was glad that Link could be easily distracted.

He had escaped at the conclusion of his latest mission into the fields of the tiny but charming country and was now revelling in the sights around him.

The beauty of this world was a rare one indeed, though by no means secret. It just seemed that no one else cared enough to seek it out. Not intentionally, at least.

Although, Allen decided to himself greedily, it was all the more for him.

Allen inhaled, a smile on his face as he took in the pleasant scent of freshly cut grass in the distance. He sat in the middle of a blooming field of wild grass, lush buttercups and careless daisies, with Monarchs and Brimstones dancing between single strands of each.

Well... he wasn't _exactly_ in the middle of the field and to emphasise this point, he fell backwards into the body which encircled him from behind.

"Oi, watch it moyashi." A thoroughly squished Kanda snapped from between the slight body of his lover and the huge tree they jointly sat against on the ground.

For that nickname, Allen stuck a bony elbow into his ribs and Kanda "oompfed" uncomfortably and smacked him in the back of his head.

"Elbow me again and I'll use Mugen." Kanda threatened, eyeing the blade laying just beside them, which was, for once, _not_ being used in an attempt to skewer the man in front of him. Or at least it wasn't at that moment.

Allen stuck out his tongue childishly at him, but nevertheless, ceased, instead choosing to snuggle into his warm body as if it were the only source of heat in the already smouldering day.

"Do you think we'll ever get a day like this again?"

"There's plenty of sunny days in this place, moyashi."

"I... I don't mean that..."

Kanda blinked at the sudden change in tone and tilted his head, staring over the white haired one's shoulder and trying to discern what exactly he _did_ mean.

Allen chuckled morosely and leered at the flowers spread out before them, speaking certain words and hoping Kanda would understand.

"You know... We should get back soon, there's probably another mission waiting for us by now."  
_  
'The fighting is getting worse, it's getting out of control...'_

"Link... Link should be looking for me by now..."  
_  
'I could betray you all... because of the Fourteenth...'_

"And I'm sure Lenalee and Miranda are worried about... _us_, too."  
_  
'We could die at any minute... I could be the one to kill you...'_

Kanda understood, of course he understood. But the sugar coated words gave little comfort and Kanda instead tightened his hands around Allen's waist, burying his nose in soft, white locks and inhaling the irreplaceable scent of freshly washed hair.

Allen's eyes opened at this tender gesture and he mumbled the other man's name. Kanda shook his head sadly as the other man continued.

"Against the Noah, our fight it's... becoming more perilous. We'll be at full scale war soon."

Kanda could not argue, every cell in his body spoke mutual agreement and he moved his hands over Allen's, tightening his grip over them in response.

"When that happens, will we ever have a moment like this again?"

"Probably not." Kanda leaned down and kissed his cheek after speaking these words. "Just appreciate it while it lasts then."

"And don't forget it when it's over?"

"I suppose so."

Allen thought for a moment on this, lulling his head back and forth, despite Kanda's irritated protests as his white hair continued to tickle past his nose, before he finally stood to his feet and declared, "If that's the case, then... I want to do something."

"Like what, moyashi?"

Allen's eyebrow twitched instinctively at the name but he turned around, smiled kindly at Kanda... and grabbed Mugen and ran.

Kanda's own instincts went into overload and even the little angel that sat on one of his shoulders yelled at him to "kill the bastard who stole Mugen."

Allen weaved through the few trees scattered across the field with as much grace and speed as he could muster as the incensed Asian man yelled curses and obscenities in Japanese after him. Allen suddenly doubled back towards the tree they once sat by and hid behind it, glad that it was large enough for him to avoid Kanda's angry gropes by ducking to one side.

But... it wasn't enough and Kanda was able to grab him by the back of his collar, holding him in place despite Allen's desperate writhing.

"Moyashi!! What the _hell_ do you think you're _doing_ with Mugen?!"

"Just borrowing it, I want to do something with it!"

"Like what?!"

"I want to... well..." Allen froze, suddenly embarrassed by his idea and he stared at the weapon he held carefully with both hands, not daring to get caught in the fiery gaze of the samurai whose sword he had just stolen.

"Well... I just... wanted to carve our names in the tree."

"... is that all?"

Allen blinked in surprise and finally looked up at Kanda's face, shocked to see nothing derisive or sarcastic in those features at all. Strange. "Well... yeah! Is that okay?"

"Tch! Hand it over."

Allen sighed and returned the sword to Kanda, who immediately pulled it from its sheath.

"I'll show you how it's done."

His fingers slid across the blade which glowed handsomely in response. The tip was only just pressed into the bark of the tree and a number of letters and numbers were swiftly carved into it, a trail of silver sparks flowing from Mugen as it made its mark.

"Do you think this will work? How long will it last, even using Mugen?"

"Long enough, moyashi."

As the blade was finally pulled back, Allen looked up at the tree with a large smile. "That's _just_ what I wanted. It's great."

Kanda twitched his nose, like an unnerved cat finding fault in something. He placed Mugen back into the tree and carefully carved three extra words before smirking.

"And _now_ it's perfect."

Allen was indignant and punched Kanda on the arm. "Screw you, Ba-Kanda."

* * *

A world beyond that time, years approaching an eternity later, they returned to that place, a little older, a little wiser... and in one case, just a _little_ bit taller.

Hand in hand they approached the tree, one of the two running his battle worn fingers over the words etched into the bark, the emotions behind them echoed still just as loud and still just as clear as they were the day they were first engraved.

_Kanda Yuu and Allen Walker_

...

_June 3rd 1903_

And Allen laughed at the words slid in just underneath his name, telling of a nickname he had long since grown accustomed to.

_Forever a moyashi_

* * *

... what? It has a DATE!! ... probably not right but I don't know the exact year DGM is set in, only that it's the end of the nineteenth/beginning of the twentieth century... so I threw in 1903 xD

Blah! I don't really like this one-shot, might come back and edit it in the future but at the minute I'm tired and depressed over my crappy exam today so it'll do for now. Reviews would cheer me up though *hint hint* XD


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